Pumpkin season has returned, and all autumnal gourd lovers are already rejoicing with their Starbucks beverages and scented candles. Luckily, there are plenty of small, local businesses offering pumpkin dishes that can only be enjoyed in Nashville. Here are a few of our favorites, showcasing the best of Music City’s culinary diversity.
- Flora + Fauna Cafe & Roaster in East Nashville is now offering pumpkin pancakes with cream cheese, candied pecans and cinnamon-apple syrup, as well as pumpkin-cinnamon cake with almonds and a rosemary pumpkin latte sweetened with molasses.
- Five Daughters Bakery will start offering pumpkin doughnuts in October and November, plus the bakery is already offering salted caramel apple doughnuts for anyone craving fall vibes despite the lingering heat.
- Prickly Pear Coffee Co. is already offering both a pumpkin pie shaken espresso and a pumpkin pie chai drink. Plus, the local coffee chain will host a coffee crawl with more than 20 participating shops across town in October, with experiences inspired by the TV show “Gilmore Girls.”
- Baked on 8th will have a variety of festive treats starting on Oct. 1, including pumpkin bread, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies, pumpkin spice cake with cream cheese frosting, gluten-free pumpkin streusel muffins and a pumpkin pastry inspired by Pop-Tarts.
- Kardes Turkish Bar & Grill offers a roasted pumpkin dish called Kabak Tatlısı, served with clotted cream, walnuts and tahini. The vegetables are locally sourced, using Musquée de Provence pumpkins from Farm & Fiddle, and offer a comforting, warm aroma when cooked to caramelized perfection. It will be on the menu in October.
Julia Freemont, managing partner at Flora + Fauna, told The Tennessean that her favorite pumpkin treat is the pancakes.
“The pumpkin is one of the top sellers out of all of our seasonal pancake options,” she said, comparing it to four seasonal variations offered throughout the year. As a venue designed for coffee lovers, Flora + Fauna also makes their beverage syrups in-house and roasts coffee in-house as well,
which makes the pumpkin latte distinctive. The roaster is clear to see on the counter where customers order.
“We wanted to offer something different that still gives people that nostalgic, fall flavor of pumpkin using fresh ingredients, like fresh rosemary,” Freemont said. “We wanted a richer flavor than just plain white sugar, which is why we sweetened it with molasses.”
If you prefer a pumpkin spice latte, both Olala Cafe and Babychan will have their own versions of the harvest season staple available by Sept. 21.
Plus, if you’re looking for a festive adult beverage, Ole Smoky is now offering pumpkin spice cream moonshine at 6th & Peabody, along with cocktails at the venue that highlight the moonshine’s unique flavor. No matter what type of autumn treat you’re looking for, you’ll find a local version of it that delights the senses in Nashville.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Where to eat pumpkin treats in Nashville
